The stalled proposal to bring luxury-car mobile-dispatcher Uber to Miami has caught the eye of Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

Rubio, a Republican, used the anecdote Monday as an example of the type of regulations that upset young people who might otherwise be OK with more government involvement in the economy.

Students at the class he teaches at Florida International University debated the issue recently, Rubio said at a forum organized by the Jack Kemp Foundation at Google's Washington D.C. headquarters. Two county commissioners concerned about protecting the taxicab industry blocked legislation that would allow Uber and its competitors to operate in Miami.

Uber and companies like Sidecar and Lyft match mobile users with drivers who can give them a ride.

"People had heard about this concept -- maybe they traveled somewhere that had it," Rubio said of his class. "Well, the Miami-Dade commission didn't allow Uber to come in because of regulations.

"So for the first time, I see young people that potentially might be friendly to more government involvement in our economy arguing against regulatory impediments to an existing business -- in this case, government crowding them out."